Rationality versus irrationality in Egyptian medicine in the pharaonic and Graeco-Roman periods.

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedingChapter

    Abstract

    During the Ptolemaic Period (332 BC-31 BC), many Greek medical practitioners settled in Egypt where they established an outstanding medical school and developed a distinctive rational approach to diagnosis and treatment which some scholars have regarded as a significant advance on earlier Egyptian procedures. However, Egyptian medicine itself combined both 'rational' and 'irrational' procedures, and extant ancient sources indicate that 'rationality' was not a new concept. Also, several other medical advances that modern writers have usually attributed to the Greeks can be identified in earlier Egyptian traditions. Nevertheless, the limitations of extant textual and archaeological evidence constrain the scope of studies in this area, and new information is required to carry the debate forward.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationStudies in ancient medicine|Stud Anc Med
    PublisherBrill
    Pages133-151
    Number of pages18
    Volume27
    Publication statusPublished - 2004

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